Ink jet printing systems require frequent maintenance and cleaning due to an accumulation of paper powder, dust, or ink of increased viscosity on and adjacent the printing nozzles of the print head. In continuous ink jet printing systems, a gutter disposed adjacent the printing nozzles is used to collect for recycling the ink not being directed to the print media. The unused ink is trapped by the gutter and directed through an ink recycling slot or channel within the print head.
In order for the gutter to effectively capture the unused ink for recycling, the gutter resides partially between the printing nozzles and the print media, which is typically paper or the like. This positioning of the gutter, while functional, causes difficulties in maintenance and cleaning of continuous ink jet printing systems, which require hydrodynamic and wipe cleaning, since the gutter partially restricts access for cleaning mechanisms and fluids from easily reaching the printing nozzles on the print head. As a result, during print head maintenance and cleaning operations, the gutter must be removed. This is an inefficient, time consuming process, and is difficult to implement cost effectively and reliably due to the required positional accuracy.
Therefore, there exists a need for a print head maintenance and cleaning system that allows hydrodynamic and wipe cleaning of the printing nozzles on the print head without the necessity of removing the gutter.